TD2 and Oncoholdings partner to accelerate development of superior oncology agents

Partnership will accelerate development of superior oncology agents to benefit patients

TGen Drug Development (TD2) and Oncoholdings Inc. announced today a partnership agreement that could lead to the prompt development of new anti-cancer agents.

Oncoholdings Inc. is a Syracuse, N.Y.-based pharmaceutical company focused on acquiring and developing the most promising preclinical and early clinical anti-cancer agents. It was founded by some of the world's leading oncology scientists and leverages the unique insights and experiences of its founders and world-class scientific advisory board.

TD2, based in Scottsdale, Ariz., provides drug development firms with expertise in moving promising laboratory discoveries through the pre-clinical, clinical and regulatory approval steps of getting new drugs to patients as quickly and safely as possible.

Under the agreement announced today, TD2 - a subsidiary of the Phoenix-based Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) - will be the exclusive development partner for Oncoholdings' oncology portfolio. The company plans to develop as many as 15 early-stage drugs over the next three years.

"We are extremely eager to put the scientific assets of Oncoholdings on the most expeditious and precise path, moving their drug compounds safely and effectively to benefit cancer patients who so desperately need better treatments," said Dr. Stephen Gately, President of TD2 and a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Oncoholdings.

Oncoholdings specifically targets drug candidates for development with the potential to:

• Demonstrate superiority over standard-of-care in pre-clinical or early human trials.
• Address significant unmet medical needs in oncology.
• Leverage Oncoholdings' significant expertise in cancer trial design and execution.

"Through our partnership with TGen Drug Development we are confident that we have secured a team comprised of the of the world's top scientists and researchers to develop Oncoholdings' drug portfolio," said Dr. Jeffrey Evans, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Oncoholdings.

"TD2's vast knowledge and experience developing cancer therapies is important to Oncoholdings, as we are positioned to advance more than a dozen compounds with various mechanisms of action. We are very pleased to have found a partner that can meet the challenges of rapidly and effectively progressing our strategy," said Dr. Evans, who also is the former co-founder and President of Rondaxe, a leading pharmaceutical consultancy.

Oncoholdings expects to announce the acquisition of its first group of products in the first quarter of 2011. Among these first products is a novel first-in-class therapy, as well as products with clearly superior efficacy and safety profiles relative to existing therapeutics. Those interested in discussing opportunities with Oncoholdings are encouraged to contact Dr. Evans at: [email protected]

Source: The Translational Genomics Research Institute